


A little love story

by hayffietrash



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-22
Updated: 2017-07-06
Packaged: 2018-11-03 13:53:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10968585
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hayffietrash/pseuds/hayffietrash
Summary: Nothing is as it seems. A series of seemingly unrelated one-shots. Haymitch and a camera. Multi-chapter. Hayffie.





	1. First Meeting

It was someone's someone's birthday party or so Chaff told him. But who cares, the fact that there was free booze and food was appealing so he put on the only clean suit in his closet and turned up at this gorgeous mansion with Chaff by his side greeting every other person they passed. The excessively flamboyant Capitol lifestyle can be seen seeping through every corner of this place. Everything so bright and shiny, including the people, it was almost blinding. _Was this the theme of the party or the new Capitol trend? Or perhaps both._

They went straight for the bar and ordered a drink each. He quietly nursed his drink as Chaff scanned the floor for a good lay.

Less than fifteen minutes into their drinks, his best friend wandered off to the dance floor with his drink in hand and his new flavour of the week by his side. He never understood the appeal of Capitol women _or men_. The way they dress and modify their bodies, cake their faces with layers upon layers of makeup and dye their body hair every shade under the sun.

To him, they were an entirely different species. It was like watching a freak show. Sure, when he was younger, he did pimp himself out to some of them willingly _or unwillingly_. But he grew older, things changed, he changed and people moved on to younger and fresher victors. That felt like a million years ago. At the age of 30, he still got the occasional offer here and there but he only accepted them when he had needs to fulfill. People used to swarm over him and now he was alone at the bar, those passing by him barely bat an eyelash. He didn't mind it at all, he enjoyed the solitude.

* * *

He saw her walking towards the bar with an empty glass. Her hair so pink it was almost impossible to miss, he wondered if it burnt her scalp when she dyed it. She was wearing a dark green dress which looked stiff and suffocating. She almost looked like Christmas tree. He turned his attention back to his half empty glass, swirling the golden liquid around and the block of ice clinking against the glass.

He heard her made her order before he saw the pink gloved hand shot out at the corner of his eye.

"Hi, you are Haymitch Abernathy right? Effie Trinket."

He looked up to see her leaning against the bar and smiling brightly at him.

"Hi." Ignoring the hand completely, he gave her a nod and finished his drink in one go before signalling the bartender for another. He wasn't in the mood to entertain anyone tonight. She retracted her arm slightly embarrassed. But that didn't deter her from continuing to try to start a conversation with him.

"You alone here tonight?"

"Can't you see I am with a friend?" He smirked and gestured to the empty space beside him. He was expecting her to walk away but she didn't.

"You are funny." She laughed.

Ignoring her, he continued sipping his drink, hoping that she would leave. But instead of leaving, she did quite the opposite. She moved a little closer towards him after the bartender gave her her drink. From that distance, he could smell her distinctly sweet perfume.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be? Someone else to entertain?" He could almost see her real face underneath the makeup. Unlike her hair and dress, her makeup was relatively toned down compared to other Capitols. It was still gold and glittery but her skin wasn't excessively pale or tinged with any colour. If he looked hard enough, she was almost pretty. All the crap on her face made her look old, he bet she was younger than he imagined.

"Not enjoying Kellen's party?" She asked.

_Who the fuck is Kellen?_ He almost said it out loud. _Oh. He should have figured from the giant K in the middle of the room._

"Who says I am not enjoying myself?" He looked up just as she brought her glass to her lips. The oddly gold liquid in her glass matching the rest of her face. If he didn't know, he would have thought that was what made her lips gold.

"Perhaps we should head somewhere else."

"Not interested sweetheart. Find someone else to play with."

"I wasn't- I just thought we could get to know each other."

"Yeah, because that's what people like you do."

"We could be working together next year."

"Yeah, of course." He shrugged, clearly uninterested in the conversation.

It was like she finally took the hint and decided to leave. She picked up her drink and stood a little straighter before leaning in to whisper by his ear.

"It was nice meeting you, Haymitch. I look forward to seeing you again." She gave a peck on his cheeks before finally leaving the bar.

* * *

Little did he know, she became the youngest escort to be recruited. And she was knocking at his door the next summer.

The bickering, the fights, the sex and whatever came after.

Life works in the strangest ways.


	2. Heading Home

He shifted uncomfortably on his seat, glancing out the window on his right. It was dark outside, the sky filled with stars. _Mesmerizing_. For a moment, he forgot about the terrifying thoughts of being suspended a few thousand feet above ground and indulged himself with the sight outside. His face so close to the cold window that his breath was misting it up.

The sudden jerk and announcement from the captain regarding the approaching turbulence brought back him back to reality. He took a glance at the empty glass in front of him before pressing the service button. He fiddled with his seatbelt for the tenth time before finally deciding to check out the in-flight entertainment. With the turbulence, it took a while for the stewardess reach him. He requested for two shots of single malt scotch before turning his attention back to the screen. Another service light lit up a few rows in front of him, he watched as she walked down the aisle with much grace and practice. It was then when the stewardess came back with his drink. Slightly disappointed with the fact that it wasn't her bearing his drink, he thanked the lady nonetheless, with his eyes still fixed on the blonde-haired woman several rows down.

He watched as she paced down the narrow aisle effortlessly with a tray in her hands. The body hugging uniform she had on brought out all her curves, curves which he knew so well in another time - another life. He could almost picture the bare skin beneath the cloth. His eyes travelled down to her hips, which were swaying ever so slightly with every step she took, remembering the little birthmark on the left. He took another mouthful of scotch and the glass was empty yet again.

He diverted his eyes back to the screen when she turned back. _Rules_. Expecting her to slide past him back to her station, he was shocked to see her pale hand reaching for his empty glass.

"Hi sir, would you like a refill?" She said with a familiar chirpiness.

Stunned, he stared at her for a few seconds before giving her a subtle nod. He counted the seconds till she came back. The humming within the plane seemed to increase tenfold. He watched as her lips moved yet he wasn't registering any sound. He blinked and she left.

The glass in front of him looked so precious. He wanted so much to down the drink at once and request for another in hopes that she would attended to him again. Rules. He mentally chided himself.

He didn't of course. He sipped on the drink as if it was the last one he would have. But he also thought the last one would be the last one.

* * *

The rest of the flight was uneventful. He fell asleep at one point when he woke up, his glass had been cleared away. Part of him wondered if it was her who did it. The scotch left a strangely familiar taste in his mouth. He barely had time to rinse his mouth in the washroom before the landing announcement was made.

He pulled up the shade on his window and winced slightly as the sunlight filtered in. The dark star-filled sky was replaced a bright blue canvas donned with fluffy white clouds. He watched as the clouds parted for the ocean to come into view. Then slowly the city where the plane was going to land in. He felt the plane dip as it approached the ground. He didn't realize he had been gripping his seat belt so tight that it left red marks on his palm. He finally relaxed as the plane gave one last jerk as the wheels hit terra firma.

* * *

He waited for the crowd to slowly file out of the plane before standing up with his coat on one arm and headed for the exit. He slowed as he saw her standing by the door.

She smiled and greeted him, welcoming him home. He gave her one last glance as he stepped out of the aircraft. _Home_. If only she knew.


	3. Important Moments

_There are important moments in your life you wish you could play on repeat forever._

The couple strode down the street, the woman's arm wrapped tightly around the man's as they huddled beneath the umbrella. It was dark and despite the pouring rain, the city was still bustling with life. Haymitch carefully avoided the puddles on the ground as he hurried behind the couple. Splash. _Damn it_. He could feel the water slowly seeping through his socks. He walked even faster, passing the couple and into the restaurant.

He closed his umbrella, tried to brush off the water on his coat as he approached the reception. The restaurant seemed to be almost full.

"Good evening sir, do you have a reservation?" The young man behind the counter greeted.

"No. Table for one please."

"A moment sir as we prepare your table."

He checked his watch mindful of the time.

"This way sir. Please follow me." The waiter gestured.

* * *

He scanned the room for just that one couple whom he knew would be sitting at their usual spot by the window. He had been watching them from afar for a while. Three weeks to be exact. Never in the restaurant of course. The first time he followed them to the restaurant. The second and third he stood outside and watched them through the glass. It was like watching a muted movie of a life he wished he had. Every Tuesday, they would have dinner in this restaurant at the same table. The guy was sweet, he would always have his hand at the small of her back when he guided her to her seat and pull out her chair for her. _Something he never did_. He always looked happy, he would watch her with a smile even if she wasn't looking. _A little creepy_. He thought. But perhaps that was what normal people do.

And her. She look flawless as always. She had her natural wavy blonde hair down today, it barely reached her shoulders. Her navy lace dress brought out the blue in her eyes. A little part of him wished it was him sitting across her. They had finished their main courses and were waiting for their dessert. Haymitch fiddled with the menu but he kept his eyes on them. She had one hand on her chin and the other laced with her partner's on the table. He watched as the guy excused himself from the table and headed towards the back of the restaurant. _Probably the heading for the washroom_. He carefully took out his phone and snapped a picture as Effie sat alone at the table sipping her drink.

Her date came back just as a waitress approached their table with two slices of cake in hand. Haymitch was certain that the strawberry shortcake was for her. She always loved strawberries. There was a time when she tried growing them in their garden with no avail. He watched as she gasped when the plate was placed in front of her. The guy brought their intertwined hands up as he stood up from his seat and got down on one knee by the table. Suddenly everyone's eyes were on them. The guy gave a little speech and she nodded as tears streamed down her face. They embraced before sharing a long kiss. There were cheering, whistling and congratulations were offered. She never looked happier. _A pang of sadness welled up within him._

_It is moments like this you wish you could live in forever._

He checked his watch again. It was almost time to leave.

* * *

He stepped out into the rain once again with a sad smile because he knew in this life, she would be happy. In a life without him, she would still be happy. He couldn’t say the same about himself.


	4. Breaking Rules

Despite the cold, it was still sunny outside. It was the kind where the warmth of the sun never seem to reach the Earth. He stuck his hands in the pockets of his coat as he hurried to his destination not far ahead. Warm air laced with the smell of coffee engulfed him as he opened the door to the café. He checked his watch before grabbing a seat by the far end of the store. He looked out the window, watching people passing by with purposeful strides and the occasional stranger who would slow down and walk towards the café he was currently in.

It wasn’t long before he spotted her. Her familiar figure as she passed him in a long beige coat and a burgundy scarf with her blonde hair up in a bun. His eyes trailed her as she turned in towards the café and entered. "Good morning," she greeted the barista with a smile as she shed her coat and stepped behind the counter. He watched intently as she busied herself with the machines. The occasional crease in her forehead as she thinks, the way her lips curled up on the edges as she greeted each customer and the way she tucked the loose hairs behind her ear when they get in the way.

He checked his watch again. Thinking _. Not long now_. He looked up to catch her eyes on him. She smiled. He returned a small one with a brief nod as he looked away _. That shouldn’t have happened_. He carefully took out the camera from his coat and quietly snapped a picture while she wasn’t looking. Another look at the time. _Ten minutes._ He slipped the camera back in his pocket and stood up. One last look and he should be out of the café. She had her back to him, seemingly occupied with something on the shelves. He was going for the door but instead he found himself standing at the counter.

"Hi sir, how may I help you?" the barista asked but he didn’t seem to have caught it, his eyes fixed on her back.

"Sir?" the barista asked again but this time she turned around and they locked eyes again. She placed a hand on the barista's shoulder, signalling that she will handle it before taking a step towards him.

"Hi." His eyes focused on her lips as she spoke. He kept quiet.

"May I help you?" She asked, beaming. In that moment, he seemed to have snapped out of his trance.

"Erm…" He hesitated as his eyes trailed to the menu behind her.

"If you can't decide, we do make a really good hot chocolate."

"Yeah sure." He watched her for a while before replying.

"Do you want anything else to go with it? A sandwich? Muffin?" her smile never leaving her face.

 "Uh… no. I am good, thanks." He said as he tried to fish his wallet out.

"That would be $6.90."

"You waiting for someone?" She asked as he passed her a $10 bill. He stopped, unsure of what to say. She must have caught his expression as she said, "Oh sorry, I just saw that you have been sitting alone at the back for a while. You can not answer, it is fine." She handed him his change and receipt.

"I was." He blurted. _Damn, breaking all the rules today. "_ They didn’t recognise me." Her gaze softened with sympathy but remained quiet, almost urging him to continue.

"I miss them quite a bit." His eyes falling onto hers once more.

"I am sorry." She apologised softly. "I hope they will someday." He stared at her lips, longing it's softness. Then his eyes travelled down to the hand holding his drink, curbing the urge to feel its warmth again. He hesitated before taking the cup.

He gave her a sad smile before heading towards the door for real this time. He checked his watch for the last time before stepping out.

"Me too." He sighed as the cold air assaulted him. His hands closed around his warm drink as he headed back where he came from.

* * *

He laid in bed that night, with the drink by his bedside. He thought about her smile, her voice and her soft blonde hair. He counted the seconds every time he cheated time to see her again. He closed his eyes, trying to welcome the darkness behind his lids but all he could see was her. Just her. He broke the rules he once set for himself earlier that day.

This was an addiction. She was an addiction. Just like alcohol but just _so much better. Isn't it? Once you get a taste of it, you can't go back. A taste of what could have been and what could be. But he knew all of this wasn’t real, she wasn’t his Effie and never will be._

* * *

Morning came as the night barely stayed. It was gloomy outside. He crossed the line. Everything about the previous day felt so good yet so wrong. Like the alcohol that once burned his throat, one day he was going to go too far. And that day was yesterday.

He picked up the long gone off drink and headed down to his kitchen. He poured its contents into the sink, watching the brown liquid spiralling down the drain.

 


	5. Little old album

_"If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever._ _If I happen to leave, it wasn’t because I chose to but you let me." She once said. In the better days, in their better days._

"Tell us the ending!" Sean urged as he scooted closer towards Haymitch.

"Don’t be stupid, Sean! You know how the story ends."

"Mummy! Edith called me stupid again!" Sean exclaimed.

"Edith, apologise to your brother." Their mother replied from the kitchen.

Haymitch looked over and gave her a small smile before turning back to the duo sitting in front of him. "Okay okay. Quiet down. Since you know how it ends, why not you tell us the ending then, Edith?"

"And they lived happily ever after." She said beaming from ear to ear. "The end."

"Yes. They did." He replied, ruffling the girl's hair as he returned with a smile of his own. He closed the album which was sitting on his lap, admiring the traces of time left on it. The once light brown cover had darkened a shade or two, littered with scratches and stains. The album had been so well used that it was filled with dog-eared pages, bulging with too many photos. He stood up and walked over to the bookshelf by the fireplace, filled with books and diaries - _mostly not his,_ apart from the top shelf, designated for his lone album.

* * *

Many lifetimes worth of memories were all in that one battered old photo album. This story - _their story -_ was definitely one for the books. No one ever saw what was in the little old album except for himself. He remembered that one time when he almost lost it. They all knew whatever it contained was privately his, the stories he told from the photos he took throughout his life. Pictures which no one should ever see. Pictures he risked his life protecting. Pictures he was both proud and ashamed of. Pictures which told many different stories. Pictures he knew by heart.

There were hundreds of them in there. The first one dated almost thirty years ago. The latest one just shy of seven years. He closed his eyes as he ran his finger along the spine of the album on the shelf, the images flashing before his eyes. Of the many photos in that album, he was only in a handful. Those photos faded along the years with exposure, but not his memories of them. His mind went back to the very first photo. It was one of them at a party. He could almost vividly remember that night, meeting her for the first time at the bar. Her in a dark green dress and him in a navy tux. The photo was taken by the photographer at the party shortly after she introduced herself. Both of them leaning by the bar, her smiling and him looking at his drink with a slight smirk. He was mailed the photos a few weeks after. He never knew what to do with them apart from chucking them in some drawer, unseen. But the lady in the photo entered his life and never left. He came across the same photo some years later while she was tidying the house. And it was much later when he started the album. The first few scoured for through the house then the rest were mostly taken by him.

* * *

"Can you tell us another story?" The little boy tugging at his shirt brought him back from his thoughts.

 "How about we have dinner first and I can tell you another one after?" He said picking the boy up. The slight crack in his back reminded him that he wasn’t getting any younger and Sean surely was growing.

He strode over to the couch and guided the girl over to the dining table. "Let's help set the table." He set the boy down and watched the little ones trotting off into the kitchen. Their feet pattering across the wooden floor.

This was the life he had envisioned for himself. A life he longed for since he met her. He had fought so hard for it. A life in this house he built, with kids of his own and perhaps a pet or two.

There was a soft knock on the door and he walked over to answer it. As usual not a minute late, he opened the door. He could hear the children running towards them even before he could announce the new arrival.

"Daddy!" The two munchkins launched themselves onto their father the moment they saw him, each grabbing one hand.

"Hi monkeys, how was your day?" Peeta asked as he picked both of them up. The younger man seemingly still as strong. He stepped aside to let the trio pass as he went on to close the door.

Their usual Saturday dinner at his place went on uneventfully with everyone sharing their week and the little ones fighting over their food every five minutes. It was slightly after nine when they left. His house was quiet again.

* * *

 

He sat alone in the living room which was once theirs. There was too much of what they shared. He could see the couch where they once made love, the kitchen where she cooked their meals, the garden where her flowers once bloomed. Every day he would wake up alone in a house they once shared, haunted by their memories, knowing that they would never make new ones.

One day he was in the kitchen getting a drink when he looked out the window and saw the withering flowers. Months of neglect finally catching up. She was the one who did the gardening. The flowers, gone, just like her. That was the day he decided to do it. When he cheated time to see her again, because he promised her he would live enough for the both of them.

* * *

The little old album sat on the top shelf for almost two decades. No one knew what it held or where the pictures came from apart from Haymitch. The stories he told the kids were loosely based upon the stories of their lives, him and the lady in the photos.

Perhaps one day when he is long gone, someone would open that album and finally see the secrets it held. Memories of her suspended in time. A little old album which transcended time and space. 

"If there ever comes a day when we can’t be together, keep me in your heart. I’ll stay there forever. If I happen to leave, it wasn’t because I chose to but you let me." _And he never did._


End file.
